Stories from Friday, September 27, 1996

CHAFFEE -- Members of a Chaffee High School business club are sold on telemarketing skills after a project with the Chamber of Commerce this week. The Future Business Leaders of America club at Chaffee and the Chaffee Chamber of Commerce are working together on a telemarketing project for the Community Birthday Calendar...

PORTAGEVILLE -- Six Southeast Missouri legislators have joined the effort to build a $1 million endowment for the University of Missouri Delta Center. The newest members of the Delta Center Endowment Club of 1,000 are Sens. Peter Kinder of Cape Girardeau and Jerry Howard of Dexter...

Traffic started streaming through the Sprigg and Lexington intersection seconds after city officials finished a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday. Motorists had been waiting more than a year for that moment. Work began in July 1995 on what is for some a major time-saving route...

Missourians considering bets on sporting events had best take a look at Section 572.020 of the state's revised statues. Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle points out that "to make a bet on sporting events constitutes the crime of gambling" in Missouri...

JACKSON -- Gas prices along Highway 61 in Jackson have been plunging this week in response to a Citgo station promotion. A new Citgo station opened a week ago on Highway 61. To celebrate it immediately began lowering its gas prices by a penny or two a day...

JACKSON -- The TIF Commission held its first meeting Thursday, electing a chairman and discussing the newly proposed district, which would provide potable water, sewers and other infrastructure amenities to sections of Cape Girardeau County along Interstate 55...

Police in Malden sweated out nearly five hours without phone service Wednesday morning, worrying about what might be happening in their town. "We were scared to death," said Vernon Earnheart, Malden police chief. "We kept three cars out on the street circulating in case someone had to flag us down. Thank God nothing happened."...

While school superintendents and board members discussed Thursday how the Missouri Safe Schools Act applies to their districts, about $4 million already had been distributed in program grants by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. About 90 school officials attended a Missouri School Boards Association meeting Thursday night at Nell Holcomb Elementary School to learn more about the Safe Schools legislation and how it affects their districts...

State Reps. Mary Kasten and David Schwab will be guests Sunday on "Going Public," a weekly community affairs radio program, which airs on KRCU 90.9 FM. The locally-produced half-hour program can be heard at 3 p.m. Kasten is running unopposed for reelection in the 159th district. Schwab also is unopposed for reelection in the 158th district seat...

For the 24th year, the Missouri Knights of Columbus will have a fund-raising drive to benefit the mentally retarded. On Oct. 11-13, Council 1111 Knights of Columbus will be offering Tootsie Rolls and collecting donations on area streets. Their theme for this year's drive is "To Care is to Share."...

MY CALL is in response to the caller who wanted the land out on Interstate 55 donated for building a youth center. I think that's a great idea except for one problem: How on earth would the kids get there? It's way, way away from the kids who really need the center the most which is in South Cape. ...

Some educators have accused America's colleges and universities of dumbing down since the campus turmoil of the 1970s. Entrance score tests, such as the SAT, have come under the same educational indictment. Many institutions of higher learning also dismissed most entrance requirements, and spent a lot of time teaching remedial courses to prepare students for college-level classes. At many institutions, such mandatory courses as math, science and foreign language were eliminated...

Cape Girardeau's newest park reflects considerable community caring. A mix of students, civic leaders, educators and community residents gathered for the official dedication of Washington Park on Wednesday. The park, just down the street from Washington School, offers a large picnic shelter, a play structure, swings, sand volleyball courts and plenty of young trees planted by both city workers and students at Washington School. ...

To the editor: Since the 1940s, the two parties -- because of the Communist scare -- set up rules for organizing new parties. With that they became the only political system. This means they could set their price for allowing another party in. In a sense, it was a dictatorship...

To the editor: Democrats seem to be winning the education argument, saying that nothing should be cut from education and that we should spend more on it. Colleges get government money now without any type of accountability being required of them, and they waste much. Cut the waste and a better education for less money would become available...

To the editor: Something independent voters, the ones who will have a major voice in deciding the Nov. 5 presidential election, need to be considering: What happens if Hillary or Bill Clinton is indicted within the next year, as appears increasingly likely?...

Lady Luck Gaming Corp. is moving ahead with its Scott City riverboat gambling plans. "Not much is happening with new casino licenses at present," said Michael A. Hlavsa, a Lady Luck executive from Las Vegas. "But, we're moving ahead." Lady Luck is one of several gambling operators which presented market updates to the Missouri Gaming Commission during a six-hour session Tuesday...

JACKSON -- Jessica Edwards wasn't as concerned about how her classmates would cast a ballot as she was about being able to cast her own vote in an upcoming school election at Jackson Middle School. Edwards' only question during a visit by Cape Girardeau County Clerk Rodney Miller was, "Do we get to vote?"...

Son to Jerry Wayne and Tonya Sue Menz, Scott City Route 1, Southeast Missouri Hospital, 7:09 a.m. Friday, Sept. 20, 1996. Name, Dlyan Michael. Weight, 8 pounds 12 ounces. Mrs. Menz is the former Tonya Odom, daughter of John Odom of Scott City and Carol Odom of Jackson. She is assistant manager at Taco John's. Menz is the son of Charles Menz and Judy Menz of Scott City. He is a technician at Lone Star Industries...

ULLIN, Ill. -- James Robert "Bob" Baker, 72, of Ullin died Thursday, Sept. 26, 1996, at his home. Friends may call at Crain Funeral Home in Ullin from 6-9 p.m. today. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at the funeral home.

PERRYVILLE -- Chalmer A. "Shorty" Zoellner, 89, of Webster Groves died Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1996, at St. Mary's Hospital in Clayton. He was born Dec. 3, 1906, at Perryville, son of August and Amelia Buerck Zoellner. He and Lunetta M. Layton were married June 10, 1930...

SIKESTON -- Terry Copeland, 52, of Sikeston died Wednesday, Sept. 25, 1996, at Missouri Delta Medical Center. He was born March 21, 1944, in Sparta, Wis., son of Merle L. and Viola Kugler Copeland. He and Mary Lewis were married Oct. 24, 1964, in Macomb, Ill...

Elbert "Pete" Wadlington, 81, 2249 Sherwood, died Thursday, Sept. 26, 1996, at Fountainbleau Lodge. He was born June 28, 1915, at Blodgett, son of Robert and Laura Adele Dean Wadlington. He and Marjorie Celestine Welter were married Jan. 31, 1936. She died Sept. 7, 1991...

CANALOU -- Harold Edward Pace, 67, of Canalou died Thursday, Sept. 26, 1996, at his home. He was born Sept. 21, 1929, at Doniphan, son of Sherles Henry and Jessie Landon Pace. He and Margaret Hewitt were married Feb. 9, 1979, at Canalou. Pace was a 1949 graduate of Morehouse High School. He was a retired mechanic, and had worked 13 years with Fleming Corp. He attended Canalou Assembly of God Church...

Dorothy E. Lanius, 82, of Cape Girardeau died Thursday, Sept. 26, 1996, at Cape Girardeau Nursing Center. Ford and Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.